Beggarticks

Bidens aristosa

Beggarticks. also called bur marigold. is a fall-blooming annual wildflower that covers itself in bright yellow daisy flowers through September and October when most other things are winding down. It grows naturally in wet prairies, stream margins, and disturbed moist areas, and in those conditions it produces an absolute carpet of yellow that rivals any cultivated fall garden. Monarchs on migration, painted ladies, and dozens of native bees work the flowers constantly on warm fall days. The downside. if you see it that way. is the seeds: they're the classic hitchhiker burs that cling to clothing and fur. The upside is they disperse effectively and the plant comes back reliably, filling in wherever conditions are right. Let it naturalize in a wet meadow or rain garden margin and it becomes an annual late-season gift.